


My Son & The Fire Lord (And Also Her)

by avatays



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: (by the fire nation nobles because they suck), (kind of? it's crack adjacent), Aged-Up Character(s), Angst with a Happy Ending, Confusion, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Family Bonding, Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Misunderstandings, Multi, No Actual Cheating Though, Overprotective, Panic Attacks, Polyamory, Post-100 Year War (Avatar TV), dadkoda, hakoda is a himbo just like his son, he's just mad and trying to make up for lost time, please don't be too mad at him :(
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:40:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26439643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avatays/pseuds/avatays
Summary: Based on the textpost by Tumblr user @salytierra, who posed the idea of a Zukki fic where Hakoda doesn't know who is dating Sokka - until he sees Zuko and Suki kissing. Whichever one of them it is that’s dating Sokka, they're cheating on his son.-The one where Hakoda is a protective father who doesn't know what's going on, gets angry at the Fire Lord, and then realizes he really should have figured their relationship out much earlier than this.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Bato/Hakoda (Avatar), Bato/Hakoda/Kya (Avatar), Hakoda & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 984
Collections: Koi’s atla fic recs





	My Son & The Fire Lord (And Also Her)

**Author's Note:**

> Rated M for adult references and lots of swearing, just to be safe.  
> \---  
> @salytierra:  
> I want a Zukki fic where Hakoda doesn’t know whom Sokka is dating and at this point he’s too afraid to ask.  
> Until he accidentally catches Zuko and Suki kissing and thinks whoever it is - they’re cheating on his son! So he becomes EXTREMELY passive-aggressive (because he can’t lash out directly at the firelord and it’s impossible to catch Suki alone) and downright MEAN, almost making Zuko cry and Suki gets really angry… meanwhile Sokka is shocked and confused.  
> Finally the whole situation blows off and they are left with Bato dying of laughter in the background.  
> \---  
> I took some creative liberties with it, but this fic was inspired by salytierra's post.  
> ao3 user @thelostcolony brainstormed with me and helped come up with a timeline, so thank her for this actually getting done!  
> without further ado, here it is! i hope you enjoy and as always, feel free to leave any comments, it makes my day.  
> -t

It’s been a while since all the kids were here last, and Hakoda couldn’t be happier. After a few years, the dust is finally settling after the war, and things are calming down... as calm as they can hope for, at least.

Apparently, it was Sokka’s idea for everyone to take a vacation to the South Pole for the Glacier Spirits Festival, insisting that the world could take care of itself for a few weeks. Katara had said that Sokka’s “incessant whining” was enough to make them all decide that maybe they did deserve a vacation. Sokka, Suki, and Zuko arrived yesterday, Zuko appointing his uncle as interim Fire Lord while he was gone. Katara, Aang, and Toph arrived today. It’s like having the whole family together.

The only problem? Even five years later, he still can’t figure out who his kids are dating.

And it all comes down to the Fire Lord. 

The kid is an enigma; he seemed to have a very close relationship with all of his friends, but they all looked much deeper than friendships in Hakoda’s eyes. Was he imagining things? Possibly. But Hakoda is also incredibly certain that the Fire Lord might just have sexual tension with all of his friends — which didn’t make figuring this out any easier.

It was easy at first. Directly after the war, things were clearer. Sokka is dating Suki, Aang and Katara are together. There, he figured it out. 

But as the years went on, the lines blurred more. And he couldn’t _ask_ because he really should know by now.

The last time he had seen all of the kids together was during the Fire Lord’s birthday about six months ago, and that had only succeeded in confusing him more.

Aang and Zuko would always spar together and Katara would do her own practices in the morning (much later than them, but she’d still do them once she was awake enough to feel like it) and they all just watched each other. Katara would always check them over, even in adulthood she wanted to keep an eye on their lightning wounds, despite the fact that they’d healed and scarred over long ago.

Which might not seem strange on its own. Katara is a healer after all, the best in the Southern Water Tribe, it makes sense she would want to check on her friends in that way. At any rate, all six of those kids are very close friends, they survived a war together, of course they would watch each other’s backs and give the others tips while they practiced.

But it seemed like they were... _closer_ than perhaps he originally thought.

He would see Sokka and Zuko duel, and they moved so cohesively that it was like they were dancing. It was truly a sight to behold. Suki would normally battle the winner (which was usually Zuko, as much as Sokka would disagree) and then Suki would do her training with Sokka too, since Sokka was familiar with the Kyoshi style of fighting — how Sokka had gotten so accustomed to fighting like a member of an elite group of female warriors, Hakoda wasn’t going to ask. Suki is incredibly intimidating, almost more so than Katara, and that’s saying something.

Hakoda had tried to figure it out when he had gotten back to the South Pole after the birthday party, drawing out a little diagram to use the process of elimination to see who his kids were dating. All lines led back to the Fire Lord.

Bato, of course, was absolutely no help. 

“Maybe Zuko’s just their group whore,” Bato had said with a shrug. “How are we supposed to know what kids are up to nowadays?”

Then, when Hakoda had started shouting at him about how he wasn’t helping, Bato dug himself an even bigger snowpile by saying, “Look on the positive side, Koda! You’ve got _two_ kids possibly hooking up with the Fire Lord, one of them might be with the Fire Lord _and_ the Avatar. That’s got to be some kind of record.”

Bato hadn’t been allowed to sleep in their bed that night.

Still, now that all the kids were here, it feels more like home. His kids were back, and the others all treat him like a father anyways, so it’s really like a family reunion of sorts. Certainly he would be able to figure this out while all the kids were home for two weeks.

Katara, Aang, and Toph arrived just before sunrise on Appa, and they hadn’t woken him up. That’s no surprise, really, Bato always says he’s a beast when he’s woken up early. 

What _is_ a surprise is when he walked out of the tent to see Aang and Zuko doing a very specialized firebending form in front of the village. Worse still, they had seemingly taken it upon themselves to be shirtless for it.

Katara sits there watching by the fire pit, sipping on her morning tea. She looks unbothered by the fact that the rest of the village is swooning and cheering at the display of fire put on by her boyfriend. Which one _is_ her boyfriend, he has yet to figure out. At any rate, one of them is her boyfriend, he just needs to do some more digging to figure out which one it is. He’s certain it’s Aang... maybe.

Besides, everyone else is sitting there too. It isn’t _just_ Katara.

Although that still made his job more difficult, now that he thinks about it.

He really should have just asked back when it would have been okay to. He’s in too deep now.

He walks over to the fire pit and sits down next to Katara. He sees Sokka with his arm slung around Suki’s shoulders, and Toph is snuggling close to them. Hakoda can’t help but scowl. He’s really not making this any easier.

Katara smiles and passes him the teacup in a silent offering. He takes a sip and gives it back. Katara goes back to watching the display.

“Any reason they’re doing this in the square?” Hakoda works up the nerve to ask.

Katara shrugs. “I thought it’d be a good idea for them to do it where the kids can see it. To show them they don’t have to be afraid of firebenders anymore. They’ve seen Aang do it, but he’s the Avatar, it’s different.”

“You figured it’d help them to see that the Fire Lord isn’t a threat.” Hakoda nods his understanding. “It’s a good idea.”

She smiles. “Thanks.”

Hakoda glances at everyone else who has gathered, namely the teenagers who are staring and whispering amongst themselves. “Seems like the kids weren’t the only ones who wanted to watch,” he says. 

Katara rolls her eyes. “That’s to be expected, how could you not want to watch them?”

Well, Hakoda definitely doesn’t know how to interpret that so he simply chooses to ignore the implications of her words. 

Aang and Zuko finish the demonstration with a final burst of colorful flames aimed towards the sky. The kids gasp and immediately rush forward. 

“Do the thing, do the thing!” One boy declares as he tugs on Aang’s pant leg. “The trick!”

Zuko groans as Aang smirks and reaches into his pocket to pull out three marbles. Aang puts them between his hands and spins them rapidly as the boy cheers. 

Katara giggles into her cup softly, and Hakoda grins at her. Even after almost six years of that trick, the kids of the South Pole still haven’t tired of it. Apparently, Katara hasn’t either. 

Zuko goes over to grab his tunic, which Sokka throws at him. Zuko makes a face, and Sokka laughs. Zuko sits down next to Suki, and Sokka passes him his own cup of tea. 

This is where it gets confusing. While Zuko seems to have a very intense emotional bond with all of his friends, he tends to hang around Sokka the most — or at least touch him the most. They were always sharing food and drinks, which is strange enough to see, since Sokka never likes sharing his food, and they were always near each other. 

Now, physical affection has always been something freely given in their family, and in the South Pole itself. And Sokka’s always been a very touchy guy. It would be easily dismissed if not for the fact that Zuko _doesn’t_ seem to seek out touch. If the rumors Hakoda had heard at sea were true, the kid had good reason to not want to be touched. 

Even so, he seems to allow Sokka nearest to him at all times. He has also noticed that Sokka always sat on his left during dinners, when they walked anywhere, even sitting on Appa. He first saw the pattern at the Boiling Rock. It took a while to realize it’s because Zuko’s left side is where his senses are weaker. So when he first noticed that Zuko lets Sokka closer than he let anyone else, it led him to think that they might be together.

Hakoda knows that Zuko had only in the past few years managed to get Sozin’s Law repealed, which had outlawed gay relationships. Zuko had once said that being gay (or anything in that neighborhood) isn’t a big deal, even when it was illegal. It only mattered if you were nobility, and as the Fire Lord — well, he’s the biggest nobility they’ve got. Hakoda also heard Zuko complaining to Aang around the campfire last night that the sages kept telling him to “pick a wife and start a family,” as if he’s an ostrich-horse trying to breed. According to Sokka, this discussion kept popping up more and more frequently, and Zuko needed the vacation where he could just take off the crown and fancy robes and eat a snack more relaxing than fireflakes.

It wouldn’t surprise Hakoda if, on the chance that Zuko and Sokka are together, that Suki was a cover story to keep Zuko from being slandered by the other nobles. 

But Suki does complicate things; she’s always near both of them, and she’s very affectionate to Sokka. He normally initiates it, but he didn’t see her like that with anyone else — besides Zuko, that is. 

And that’s where his worry came in. Sokka is in Caldera a lot doing his ambassador duties, but Suki is Zuko’s bodyguard, they’re constantly together. Not that either Suki or Zuko have made it clear they’re with Sokka, and they’ve given him no reason to be suspicious — but Sokka isn’t with them all the time like they are with each other. Sokka’s a sensitive guy, and he doesn’t want his son to get hurt or betrayed by those he loves.

He’s _sure_ it’s one of them. He’s going to figure it out during this trip, he was determined.

If only he could pin Zuko down. 

___

  
  


The festival begins a few hours later, and everyone is enjoying themselves. Hakoda sees Sokka take both Suki and Zuko by the arms and rush them over to the games, Suki dragging Toph along with them by her free hand.

Toph is around the three of them a lot, maybe he will be able to get an answer out of her. 

“Hey, Toph!” He calls out. When she turns towards his voice, he asks, “Do you have a minute?”

Toph shrugs, and waits for Hakoda to catch up to her. Suki, Sokka, and Zuko keep going, Sokka calling out, “We’ll come back for you in a few!” to which Toph only responds with a thumbs up.

“So,” she begins. “What is it?”

“Uh... how are you doing?” He’s trying to break the ice, but he doesn’t think he’s doing it very well.

Toph rolls her eyes. “Well, I have to wear shoes so I don’t get frostbite, so I can’t see very well. I feel like I’m actually blind.”

Hakoda opens his mouth to say something, then closes it.

“Were you about to remind me that I am blind?” Toph says flatly.

“...No.”

“I don’t need to have my feet on the ground to be able to tell that’s a lie. What is it you wanted to talk to me about?”

Hakoda huffs. “Fine. You seem to know everything that goes on — ”

“That’s true,” Toph interrupts smugly.

“ — and I was wondering if you could tell me... who Sokka is dating.”

Toph is quiet for a moment, before a smirk slides across her lips. “Repeat that?”

“I can’t figure out if he’s with Suki or Zuko,” Hakoda tells her, pacing slightly in his frustration. “I know Sokka and Suki are close and they act like they’re dating, but Sokka’s never been forthright with me about his romantic endeavors, that hasn’t changed at all since he was a kid. So I can’t figure it out! And I can’t ask _him,_ not now, so instead I’m just... asking you.”

Toph’s smirk grows. “So, you can’t figure out who among Suki, Sokka, and Zuko are dating? That correct?”

“Yeah, that’s it.” He tugs on his hair beads nervously, hoping he’ll get a straight answer out of Toph for once.

“Fine, I’ll tell you who Sokka’s dating.”

“Thank you, I — ”

“It’s me.”

Hakoda stares at her. She looks serious, but also like she’s holding back a laugh. 

He should’ve known not to ask Toph.

He groans and Toph openly laughs at him. “Now, point me in the direction of someone I know,” she snickers once she composes herself.

Hakoda snorts and steers her shoulders to where Sokka, Suki, and Zuko are standing by the games a few meters away. “Straight ahead.”

As Toph walks off, he huffs. He really, _really_ should’ve known better.

He looks around again. Maybe Katara would know? But if Katara is with Zuko, would she get offended if he asked her that? What if —

Oh. 

His eyes catch on where Katara and Aang are kissing in front of a game, Katara is holding a stuffed polar bear dog, and by the looks on their faces, Aang won it for her. Whether he cheated using airbending has yet to be determined. (Hakoda figures yes.)

Well, that answers one question. At least his suspicions were correct. (If Bato asks, he knew it all along.)

He approaches them, and clears his throat. Katara jumps back and blushes, Aang coughs. “Hakoda. Uh, sir. Nice to see you,” he lets out nervously.

“Yes, I’m sure it is,” Hakoda responds with mirth. Lucky for them, he’s far too invested in figuring out what else is going on to focus on the idea of his daughter dating the Avatar, especially considering that the two of them have traveled the world together for six years. He doesn’t want to think about that too hard.

Katara clutches the stuffed animal closer into her parka, while Aang avoids eye contact and tugs at the sleeve of his jumpsuit. Even after all these years, Hakoda will never get over Aang’s lack of anorak. He had tried to get one for Aang just after the war, when they left the Fire Nation to come back home for a while, and Aang had told him he didn’t need one. It took awhile for him to grasp that he could control his body heat through airbending, but he’s over it now... mostly. It’s still weird though.

It _is_ amusing to see Aang intimidated by him still. Aang has gotten taller than all of them except for Sokka in the last two years, and Sokka is desperately hoping he’s done growing because, in his own words, “I’m not done being the tallest! I _just_ got taller than Zuko, let me have this Aang!”

Apparently he still sees Hakoda as a superior, which is strange enough to think about. The Avatar, the single most powerful being on the planet, thinks that _his girlfriend’s father_ is intimidating. Go figure. 

“I wanted to ask you guys something about Sokka,” he asks, looking between the two of them. “Toph was no help, so I figured I should ask you guys.”

Aang smiles and Katara nods, waiting for him to continue.

“I’ve been trying to figure out who Sokka is dating. I really should know, don’t tell him I don’t, but I don’t know how his relationships work, and he’s so... _touchy_ with everyone.”

Aang frowns. “He isn’t touchy with _me_.”

Katara raises an eyebrow. “Do you want him to be?”

“Not necessarily, but I’d like it to be offered.” Aang scowls slightly, but gets over it quickly when Katara nudges him playfully.

Hakoda tries to resist the urge to roll his eyes. He fails. “Anyways,” he continues. “I’ve got it narrowed down to Suki and Zuko. I know he was with Suki after the war ended, but I don’t know if that’s changed in the last few years or not. And Suki and Zuko are always together in Caldera, but Sokka isn’t always there, so I just... it’s hard to figure you kids out, you know, you aren’t exactly bursting at the seams to tell me what’s happening in your world!” Hakoda ends defensively when he sees the judgmental look from Katara.

Katara scoffs. “I thought you’d be more interested in how the world is recovering and what Aang and I are doing. You know, with Aang trying to restore balance and all that.”

Alright, she’s got a fair point. But still, he would like to be told two things. 

“I thought you’d have figured it out by now, dad, honestly,” Katara says.

“Pretend I’m an idiot and tell me what’s going on,” Hakoda groans. “Just tell me who my son is dating.”

Aang says, “It’s Zuko,” at the same time that Katara declares, “Suki, obviously.”

The pair look at each other. They have a silent conversation, before Katara adds, “Well, I guess it depends on your perspective, really.”

“...What, in spirits name, does that mean?” Hakoda demands, exasperated.

“What does any of it mean, really,” Aang sighs demurely, and Katara shrugs. 

“It’s not our place to say. But I’m sure you’ll figure it out, dad,” Katara says, grabbing Aang’s hand and gesturing to a waterbending game. “We’re here for two weeks, you’ll have plenty of time to ask him if you can’t work it out.” Katara smirks, like she _knows_ he won’t ask. 

Hakoda scowls as Katara drags Aang off to a new game. These kids really are no help.

He hears a snicker behind him, and turns to see Bato standing there, looking as smug as always. “I can assume you found your answer?” he asks.

Hakoda glares at him. “No, you cannot assume that.” He huffs. “I still haven’t figured out Sokka. I keep getting different answers.”

Bato shrugs. “Is it that important?”

“Yes, it is! One day he’s going to get married, and what then, Bato?” Hakoda snaps. “I’ll be stuck waiting to see who turns up to figure out who my kid is marrying.”

Bato rolls his eyes. “You’re so dramatic. They’re going to make it obvious at some point.” When Hakoda groans in impatience, Bato takes his hand and says, “Why don’t we just go around the festival a bit more? Get some seal jerky, look at the lights.”

Hakoda can’t help the smile he feels creeping onto his face against his will. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Bato says cheerfully as he pulls him towards the food stands. 

___

  
  


“I’m tired,” Bato slurs as Hakoda lures him back home with the promise of food. 

“Yeah, well, that makes two of us,” Hakoda tells him as they arrive in front of their hut. “Now go inside.”

“Why won’t you come with me?” Bato asks, refusing to let go of his hand. 

Hakoda scoffs. Spirits, is he _pouting_ right now? Grown men don’t pout — not his grown man, at least. “I need to go back to the festival grounds and check for stragglers. You aren’t the only one who got drunk tonight, I’ve got to make sure no one freezes.”

“You’re so responsible,” Bato swoons, before going inside. He pokes his head back out and tacks on, “Come back soon.”

Hakoda waves him off. He checks on the kids in the little surrounding huts, trying to do a head count. Toph and Katara are asleep. Suki is nowhere to be found though, he’ll have to keep an eye out for her. 

He goes to the next one. Aang and Sokka are asleep. Zuko isn’t there. Huh. Okay, two out of the six kids he’s responsible for are missing. He should start panicking soon, but he holds off the impending dread, telling himself he can check for them as he walks back towards the fairgrounds. He needs to make sure the area is empty anyways, he’ll find them there, he’s sure of it.

As he traverses the grounds, he scolds a few teenagers who are only half-conscious in a pile of snow beside a food hut. (“You know how dangerous it is out here alone. You could’ve frozen! You go home right now or I’ll be forced to wake up your parents and tell them what happened, and I know you don’t want that.”)

He looks around as the three teenagers scamper off back towards the village. He glances up at the lanterns, still lit. He should probably keep them up, they aren’t a danger to burn anything, and in case he missed someone, he wants to make sure they’ve got a lit path to find their way back home. 

He still hasn’t seen Suki or Zuko though, and it’s starting to worry him. Where else could they be? Unless they went out into the tundra, but he seriously doubts that. A firebender would never go out into the snow at night like that when they’re at their weakest, even if they are drunk. Zuko’s no fool.

He heads back towards the village. Maybe he had missed them the first time around. 

He starts looking around the huts, even finding one of the teenagers he’d just sent away sleeping outside, so he had to push the kid in. Besides that, he couldn’t see much of anything around the village besides the mountains of snow and the lanterns. It’s a calm night at least, it isn’t even snowing. He could just hear the whistling of the wind and the crackling of the fires. 

He keeps walking around the huts, checking to see if maybe Zuko had landed in the snow somewhere in a haze. Apparently, alcohol isn’t as strong in the Fire Nation as it is in the South Pole because Zuko really can’t hold his liquor like the rest of them can, if what Sokka says is to be believed. 

He goes back to the kids’ tents, and checks inside both of them in case they beat him back. Still no luck. Now he’s really getting concerned.

He rounds the corner of one of them, and stops dead. Behind the boys’ tent are Suki and Zuko. She’s straddling him and they’re locked in a passionate kiss, just sitting in the snow. 

Hakoda quickly turns and leaves, nothing more than footprints in the snow indicating he was there at all. He takes a few deep breaths to try and steady himself as he walks back to his and Bato’s hut. He’s angry, he’s trying to stop himself from lashing out.

He doesn’t care which of them it is that’s dating Sokka anymore. Whoever it is, they’re cheating on his son. 

___

  
  


Bato raises his eyebrow at Hakoda one morning. “Are you alright? You’ve been... _off_ the past few days.”

Hakoda is glaring at where Sokka, Zuko, and Suki are gathered eating breakfast. They’re all laughing, as though nothing is wrong, as if they haven’t betrayed Sokka, as if Zuko has changed as much as they claim he has, as if —

“Koda? Hello?” Bato demands, waving a hand in front of his face.

Hakoda turns his icy gaze to his husband. “What?” he hisses.

“Don’t get snippy with me, I’m just worried,” Bato says, frowning at the accusatory tone.

Hakoda sighs. “No, you’re right, I’m sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Still trying to figure out Sokka’s love life?” Bato asks with a chuckle, passing Hakoda some breakfast. 

Hakoda’s eyes narrow on Zuko. “No. I’m not,” he replies coolly.

Zuko catches his eye, and looks taken aback. Zuko’s golden eyes dart around, as if looking to see what happened to make Hakoda glare at him like that, _as if he doesn’t know_.

When Hakoda doesn’t break eye contact, Zuko averts his gaze, his eyes flickering back up to check if he’s still glaring every so often.

He should feel bad, for directing the brunt of his anger towards Zuko. But Zuko hasn’t changed, not like everyone thinks he has, clearly. 

He knows he really should deal with the simmering resentment towards the Fire Nation he feels resurfacing. But he fought a war against firebenders, he’ll be damned if he lets another one break his kid’s heart.

He doesn’t want to deal with his leftover feelings from war. He wants to be angry on Sokka’s behalf, he wants them to feel bad for how they’ve betrayed him. 

With the worried looks Zuko keeps sending his way, he’s succeeding. 

___

  
  


It’s another three nights before Zuko says something about it. Hakoda’s been avoiding Suki all together for the most part, and it’s not like he can try and fight the Fire Lord, no matter how mad he is at the little punk.

Bato is quietly ladelling out some stew, all the kids chattering amongst themselves happily as they wait for dinner.

Hakoda sees Suki and Sokka whispering to each other, and he leaves the hut in a huff. The snow is falling gently, and it feels familiar. Unfortunately it does little to quell his rage. 

He hears footsteps behind him and he closes his eyes. “Not now, Bato.”

“I — no, okay, I’ll go, I’m sorry — ”

His eyes snap open to Zuko, who is wearing a large blue coat and nervously playing with his mittens. His gaze zeroes in on the fact that it’s Sokka’s anorak. Of course it is, Zuko just loves to steal things from him, doesn’t he?

“What is it?” Hakoda huffs, glaring at him.

“I... have I done something to offend you, Chief? You — you seem mad at me but I don’t know what happened, everything seemed fine when we first got here — ”

“Yeah, _seemed_ fine,” Hakoda snaps at the boy.

Zuko frowns. “I just — is there something I can do to make up for whatever it is I did?”

And Zuko sounds so mature and reasonable, it makes Hakoda _furious._ He wants the kid to be a brat, he wants Zuko to give him a reason to yell and start a fight, but Zuko looks genuinely worried, and his words are sincere — but fuck him, that’s just not good enough.

“No. Just go,” he says coldly.

“Go... where?”

“I don’t care!” Hakoda shouts. “Just get out of my face!” 

He approaches Zuko quickly to point a finger in his face, but as soon as his hand comes up, Zuko’s arms go up to cover his face and he stumbles back, landing on the icy ground with a gasp. He scrambles back a bit in the snow, his eyes wide.

Hakoda’s arms drop to his sides. He deflates, if only slightly. “I wasn’t... I’m not going to _hit_ you, Zuko.”

Zuko shakes his head so vigorously it looks like it hurt. “I’ve heard that before.”

“What happened?” Suki asks, appearing in the doorway. “I heard a shout.”

Great, now the anger is back. “We’re fine,” Hakoda states firmly, taking a step away from Zuko. 

Suki closes the distance between them, and she grabs Zuko by the arm, lifting him up. Zuko still seems to be in a soft state of shock, and unready to move on his own.

“Wouldn’t want to stress out your little boyfriend,” Hakoda sneers, stepping back towards the house. 

Suki lets go of Zuko’s arm, and he falls into the snow again with a quiet thud. “Come again?” Her confusion turns to ferocity at the look on his face when she meets his eyes. 

“You heard me.” With that, he goes back into the hut. He figures the conversation is done, but apparently, Suki isn’t finished yet.

“No, you tell me what the hell you’re playing at. What’d you do to freak him out so much?” Suki seethes, gesturing at Zuko, who has followed her inside. He’s staying close by the door, as if he’s planning on needing to make a quick escape. Zuko’s taking short raspy breaths and looking around worriedly.

“Sparky? What’s wrong?” Toph asks.

“You know what you did!” Hakoda accuses.

“Dad,” Katara gasps admonishingly, at the same time that Sokka jumps up and says, “What are you doing?!”

Suki’s eyes flash dangerously. “No, I don’t. But I’d _love_ for you to tell me!”

Sokka steps in between them, taking a firm hold of Suki’s shoulders and keeping her in place. “Let’s just relax, maybe we’re all feeling a little suffocated with so many of us being together all the time,” Sokka says diplomatically.

Hakoda would normally be proud, but instead it just fuels his ire. “You don’t know what they did!” He aggressively gestures towards Suki and Zuko.

“Did what?” Zuko croaks, leaning against the wall of the hut and looking pale. “I don’t — I don’t _know_ what you’re talking about.”

“DON’T LIE!” Hakoda yells.

Zuko flinches violently as if he’d been struck. 

“Koda, you’re out of line,” Bato hisses at his side as he pulls him back with a firm grip on his arm.

“Don’t talk to him like that!” Sokka shouts. Suki has sat Zuko down on the floor, and Zuko is shaking. Toph has gone over to join them, and she looks concerned, something he rarely sees on Toph. He can’t find it in himself to care in that moment.

He wants to feel bad about Zuko, but his focus is on Sokka. “You’re taking his side?!” Hakoda snarls.

“ _Yes_! You’re scaring him!” Sokka yells. “What the fuck, dad? Why are you treating him like this?”

“I’m treating _him_ badly?” Hakoda screeches wildly in disbelief. “Sokka, he’s _cheating_ on you! With _her_!” he points a finger accusingly at Suki, whose glare falls for a second as she looks up at Sokka in confusion. “I saw them together after the festival, _kissing_!”

Sokka’s mouth hangs open for a moment, before his chest heaves and he screams, “ARE YOU FUCKING JOKING? YOU’RE MAD BECAUSE MY _BOYFRIEND_ WAS KISSING _**OUR** GIRLFRIEND_?”

“Stop yelling!” Toph snaps from where she sits next to Zuko. “Come on, Sparky, just breathe.” Zuko shakes his head.

It feels like a balloon has been popped inside of him. Hakoda calms in an instant. “Your... what?” 

He looks around him at the wide eyes of everyone, but they aren’t surprised by the information, they’re surprised by _him_. Aang looks close to tears and Katara is clearly startled. It takes him a moment to realize that she has never heard him yell like that before. When the kids were young, Kya usually had to dole out punishment, she said Hakoda was too soft on them, and Bato wasn’t going to do anything. Then soon after she had passed, he and Bato left for war, and by the time he got back, his kids were nearly grown. He had no reason to scold them in such a way, they had already saved the world, what use would it be? 

He’s never yelled at Katara or Sokka. This is also the first time Sokka has yelled back. 

“Yes, my girlfriend _and_ my boyfriend!” Sokka lets out a humorless, half-hysterical laugh. “Don’t pretend like this is a new concept, I remember what things were like when mom was still around!” He points at Bato. Bato looks away, pretending to find the ceiling very interesting.

“Wait, what?” Katara asks, suddenly registering Sokka’s words.

Hakoda looks to Zuko, who’s still sitting on the floor and only a few steps away. “Spirits, I — Zuko, I’m so sorry — ” he takes a step forward, and Suki lashes out, snapping her fan open after she slid it out from the sleeve of her coat, pointing the edge of the blade at him, daring him to come closer.

“Don’t you fucking touch him!” Suki roars. “Don’t come near him!”

Sokka groans and rushes forward. Toph gets out of his way and Sokka takes her place. Zuko’s knees are pulled up to his chest, and his head is lulling between them. He’s taking breaths that sound closer to a wheeze than anything else. 

“Hey, come on,” Sokka says calmly, in a voice barely above a whisper. “Let’s do our grounding exercises. Breathe in deep — hold it, hold it — okay, let it out. Good.” Sokka is holding his hand, and Zuko’s gripping at it so tightly that it looks like he’s afraid he’s going to float away.

Hakoda can do nothing but watch as Sokka talks Zuko down from the panic that _he_ had worked the boy into. Suki is still glaring at him from the corner of her eye, but she’s holding Zuko’s other hand and rubbing his back softly in a juxtaposition of ferocity and gentleness. 

Zuko’s breathing evens out as Sokka continues giving him a small list of things to do, something he recognizes as a PTSD exercise.

After a few moments of silence, Zuko has calmed down, and looks up at him. Sokka grits his teeth. Suki is avoiding him entirely.

Hakoda turns towards the everyone else in the tent, away from where Zuko is, in fear of overcrowding him. “Can I talk to these three alone?” He pauses and looks at Zuko. “As long as it’s okay with you. I understand if it isn’t.”

Sokka and Suki examine Zuko for any fear or hesitation, but the young Fire Lord just takes a deep breath and nods. 

“Let’s go... uh, check out the fire pit?” Bato says, noncommittally, as he ushers Katara, Aang, and Toph outside.

On their way out the door, he hears Toph whine, “Wait, but the soup — ”

Hakoda makes sure he keeps his distance from the small group as they wait for him to speak.

“Zuko, I’m so sorry. I was confused and worried about Sokka, and I took my anger out on you. I’m sorry, it was wrong.” Hakoda sits down like Zuko is, to try and put them on even ground.

Zuko simply nods again. “It’s okay. I would’ve been angry too. You didn’t — you didn’t actually hurt me.”

“I did though,” Hakoda tells him, his eyebrows drawn together. “I worked you into a panic. I scared you.”

“Yeah but you didn’t — you didn’t hit me,” Zuko ends quietly, averting his gaze to the floor.

Hakoda sighs and buries his face in his hands. “The fact that I didn’t _hit you_ doesn’t excuse my mistake.”

Every time he thinks he can’t find out anything worse about Ozai, the kid will reveal some hidden trauma that makes Hakoda hate him more. By this point, whether it’s just him redirecting his anger at someone who deserves it or if he wants to do it in Zuko’s stead, he’s considering his ability of finding the former firebender’s cell and dropkicking the man into the sun. He’s betting Agni wouldn’t take mercy on him either.

“My basic knowledge that you shouldn’t hit a child doesn’t excuse me,” Hakoda continues. “Neither does my anger excuse my actions. I was in the wrong to lash out at you without talking to any of you first to figure out the whole story. But Zuko, even if I was in the right, I was never going to — I _would never_ hit you. No matter how mad I get, I won’t hit you. Or anybody. I don’t... we’ve spent so long in a war, I don’t want to be violent anymore. Not to anybody, but _especially_ not to my kids — none of you.”

Zuko nods and looks back up at him. He appears calmer. Hakoda can only hope that means that he believes him.

“I hope you can accept my apology some day, I know I’ll have to earn your trust back,” Hakoda continues. He turns his attention to Suki and Sokka on either side of Zuko, saying, “I hope you both will forgive me, too. I’m sorry for shouting at you as well. I should have been an adult and asked what was going on directly instead of being so cold these last few days.”

Sokka gives him the barest hint of a smile, signaling to his father that he has already been forgiven. Suki nods stiffly after a long pause, then asks, “Why didn’t you get mad at me? Why Zuko?”

“I’m afraid I still harbor anger towards the Fire Nation,” Hakoda says with a sigh. “I thought I’d gotten over it but... I guess it’s still there. When we were all at war, at sea, we blamed the Fire Nation for everything, for taking our people and for forcing us to leave our families. I guess during those years I got so used to blaming the Fire Nation, I lashed out at Zuko because he was the easiest person to blame.”

“The Fire Nation _was_ responsible for all your grief though,” Zuko interjects. “You have a right to blame me first. I’m the Fire Lord, I’m everything the Fire Nation represents. You have every reason to still blame me and my people for what happened.”

“No, you’re what the Fire Nation represents _now_ ,” Hakoda says firmly. “I hold my anger towards what the Fire Nation used to be, the way your father and grandfather ruled. Your Fire Nation is not theirs. It was wrong of me to blame you.”

Zuko looks towards his partners. “Can I talk to him on my own? Just for a minute.”

Suki hesitates, but Sokka gestures for her to follow him. Suki levels Hakoda with one last stony look, but leaves. He hopes that means she knows he wouldn’t hurt Zuko, even if she is still mad at him.

“So you really don’t blame me?” Zuko finally asks. 

“I really don’t,” Hakoda promises. “I overreacted. I’ve just — I’ve missed so much of Sokka and Katara’s lives. I was gone almost four years, and during that time, I found out they were in more danger than I ever was. And I wasn’t there to help them, or to protect them during their travels. After Sozin’s comet and we were all finally able to come home again, they were hailed as war heroes. I think I was so angry because I saw an opportunity to do what I couldn’t do back then. I thought I could make up for the years lost by protecting him as an adult, but the truth is, my kids don’t need my protection anymore.”

“They might not need it, but they’ll want it,” Zuko assures him. “I know after my mom disappeared, I wished she was there every day. To protect me, just to hold me. And Sokka’s not mad at you for not being there. He knows you’ll always be there to help if he asks for it.”

“How do you know that?”

Zuko shrugs. “We talk a lot. He’s been living in the palace the bulk of the last few years, we’ve been friends twice that long. I’d like to think I know him pretty well.”

Hakoda smirks. “Yeah, I guess you do.”

Zuko cracks a small smile, before it falls. “Sokka wasn’t keeping it from you on purpose, by the way. We thought we were being obvious, although I guess it’s easy to miss. I’m used to not being able to show affection to them — it’s not like here, where Sokka can hold both of our hands and no one’s going to look twice. In Caldera, I don’t get to kiss them in public like they get to do with each other. We get to hold hands in the gardens or by the turtleduck ponds, if we’re feeling risky. But I’m the Fire Lord, I have certain expectations to uphold. One of those expectations is being in a heterosexual, monogamous relationship to produce an heir. Which I don’t have... or want.”

“You’re the Fire Lord, I’m pretty sure you can do whatever you want,” Hakoda says. 

Zuko grumbles, “You would think, but I’ve got a council and the sages to answer to. I can’t just change the rules.”

“You’ve done it before,” Hakoda points out.

“This is different. Sozin’s law, ending the war, I did that for my people, for all people. By telling the sages I’m with Sokka and Suki, that I won’t marry some Fire Nation noble they pick out for me, that would be... well, all that other stuff isn’t as selfish as that would be.”

“Maybe you should get to be a little selfish,” Hakoda says as he stands. “You’re human, just like the rest of us. You’re allowed to do things in order to be happy.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Zuko stands as well. “So, are you okay with — with _us_? They mean everything to me, and Sokka would be devastated if you didn’t approve.”

“I’ll admit, I didn’t see it coming. Perhaps that’s my fault for not putting the pieces together.” Hakoda slowly reaches for Zuko, giving him plenty of time to react. When he doesn’t move away, Hakoda places a hand on his shoulder and squeezes. “You three look happy together. That’s all a father should ever want, for their kids to be happy. How could I not approve?” He smiles gently. “You’re a good man, Zuko. They’re lucky to have you — we _all_ are lucky to have you in our lives.”

Zuko’s face screws up like he’s trying not to cry. Hakoda responds by carefully pulling him into a hug, which Zuko reciprocates. “I forgive you,” Zuko whispers, his voice muffled slightly by their heavy coats that they still haven’t taken off.

Hakoda feels like he can breathe properly again. “Thank you.”

Zuko pulls back, and wipes his face on his sleeve.

“Should we go out there now?” Hakoda asks gently.

Zuko nods, and they leave the hut. As they see the group gathered around the fire pit, they hear Sokka’s voice drift over, saying teasingly, “ — Katara, honestly, I know you were eight, but you seriously didn’t know? Bato used to sleep over all the time, what did you think was happening?”

Katara huffs as they reach the pit. “I thought that’s what best friends did!”

Bato shrugs. “We’re best friends, too.” He smiles at Hakoda when he sees him and Zuko approach. 

Everyone turns, and Toph notices the footsteps. “Oh, nice to see you both are alive,” Toph jokes. “Otherwise we’d be left with gay stepdad and Fire Lord Iroh — actually, now that I think about it, that sounds pretty good.”

Aang elbows her but giggles. Zuko rolls his eyes at the comment. Suki and Sokka instantly scoot apart so that Zuko can take a seat in between them. Hakoda sits by Katara and Bato. 

“Dad, I need you to tell me something, and you have to be honest with me,” Katara says seriously.

“Uh... okay?”

“Are you _sure_ that both of us are yours?” She begs, eyes wide.

Hakoda can’t help the laugh that escapes him. “I’m sure.”

“Promise?”

“Yes. Bato wasn’t in the picture romantically until after you were born. I promise, you’re both mine,” he tells her, and she sighs in relief. 

“Oh, thank the spirits.”

“Hey, I am an _excellent_ stepdad. I cook for this family, and this is the thanks I get?” Bato declares defensively. “It’s not my fault your mother wasn’t my type.”

“Oh yeah? What type is that?” Katara mocks.

“A woman.”

Sokka snorts. Hakoda smiles at him, and he smiles back. He meets Suki’s gaze. She gives him a nod of understanding. If she accepts his apology or if she’s just grateful that he had made Zuko at ease again, he isn’t sure. But she seems to accept what happened, and he’s certain things will return to normal soon — well, with one big change.

“You all good?” Sokka asks Zuko softly.

Zuko meets Hakoda’s gaze and smiles. “Yeah. We’re all good.”


End file.
